The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook :: This has been one of my cooking bibles for years. D&D + David Rosengarten = culinary/literary exposition that is a joy to read. Learn it, live it, love it.
Here in America’s Test Kitchen :: These guys know what’s up – they try everything a billion times in a billion different ways before they settle on a perfect recipe. They have never done me wrong, and rarely do I have to add my own touch.
Heat :: Bill Buford was the fiction editor for The New Yorker and decided to become Mario Batali’s kitchen slave after a dinner party with the celebrity chef. A true education in gastronomy, and several trips to Italy, follows. If you are any kind of cook and/or any kind of student of history, this is a brilliant read.
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine :: Jeff Smith was the guy I would watch on PBS as a kid, and certainly one of my early influences when it comes to the sorcery that is cooking.
A Feast Made for Laughter :: Craig Claiborne was the food editor at the New York Times for 25+ years, and thus amassed an incredible trove of insight into what makes cuisine both awe-inspiring and approachable.
adam ate the city. 